Wire twister



Oct. 17, 1939.

w. Ross WIRE TWISTER Filed April 17, 1939 INVENTOR.

Y wa- M. m ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES WIRE TWISTER Willard Ross, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada Application April 17,

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to wire twisters, that is, devices for entwining a plurality of wires together.

In order to obtain a successful wire twister, the

device should be able to entwine the wires one about the other and not merely wrap one or more of the wires around a further wire which remains substantially straight and, further, the wire twister should be capable of handling thick or thin wires of all types without the necessity of the operator thereof being called upon to thread the wires within openings formed in the device or to start the twisting of the wires by hand or with other tools. The heretofore known devices characterized as wire twisters were so constructed as to present to the user thereof one or more of the foregoing undesirable conditions.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device for regularly entwining a plurality of wires.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device which is economical to manufacture and which readily entwines wires of all thicknesses and shapes.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a device which positions a plurality of wires for entwinement and proceeds to entwine the same without the assistance of other tools or of the operator other than the operation of the device itself.

Further objects of the present invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view of the device comprising the present invention mounted upon a brace and shown in the act of positioning a pair of wires for entwinement one about the other.

,Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device comprising the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is a view taken in line with the arrows of line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 2 with one wing thereof broken away and. showing the device in the act of positioning a pair of wires for entwinement one about the other.

Fig. 6 is a partial view of the present wire twister with one wing and a part of the shaft thereof broken away and being rotated for entwining a pair of wires.

Fig. '7 is a top view of a modified form of wire twister.

1939, Serial No. 268,415

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 7 with the shaft thereof broken away, and

Fig. 9 is a side cross sectional view taken on line 99 of Fig. 7.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing wherein like and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters, numeral I indicates a shaft having an end portion 2 thereof shaped for insertion between the jaws of common braces. The opposite end of shaft I is tapered, forming a pair of faces 4 and I3 which meet in a common edge 3. Said edge 3 is positioned directly in line with the longitudinal axis of shaft I and extends perpendicular thereto. Said faces I3 and 4 tapering towards one another and meeting at said edge 3 impart to shaft I a wedge-shaped end therefor.

Extending from diametrically opposed sides of shaft I are a pair of wings 6 and I I. Said wings 6 and II extend laterally from said shaft I and have their outer tip portions 5 and I 0 respectively bent to extend obliquely in a forward direction. Edges 8 and 9 of wings 6 and II respectively extend in parallel directions away from shaft l but at an equal distance from the longitudinal axis of shaft I, each of which edges respectively forms internal corners I4 and I5 with shaft I at their point of jointure thereto.

Wings 6 and II have formed in their forward edges 8 and 9 respectively, adjacent said corners I4 and I5, slots I and I2, which extend lateral to their respective wing by slanting inwardly from their respective edges 8 and 9 at the upper face of their respective wing towards the lower face thereof parallel to and continuate with sides 4 and I3 respectively of shaft I. Slots I and I2 are positioned an equal distance from the longitudinal axis of shaft I.

In operating the device, end 2 of shaft I is inserted between the jaws M of a brace 40, where upon band 42 is rotated for causing said jaws 4| to grip the faces of end 2. An operator thereupon guides edge 3 between a pair of wires and rotates handle 43 of brace 40 in a righthand direction, causing tips 5 and II) to respectively contact wires A and B. Upon the contact. of wires A and B with tips 5 and I0 respectively, said wires will, upon the continued rotation of handle 43, be caused to slide along faces 8 and 9 of wings 6 and II until wire A is positioned within slot I2 and wire B likewise is positioned within slot I, whereupon the entire arrangement will be in a position relative to one another as shown in Fig. 1. As will be noted, the entwining of wires A and B has already begun. Continued rotation of handle 43 causes wires A and B to cross directly in front of edge 3 and wires A and B, to each extend alongside of and against faces 4 and !3 of shaft I and continue across slots 1 and !2, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing. In this manner, the point at which the wires A and B2 cross one another is at all times governed by edge 3 and faces 4 and I3 and thereby retained directly in line with the axis of shaft and, further, slots 1 and I 2 retain the extended portions of the wires A and B at an equal distance upon opposite sides of said longitudinal axis of shaft thereby assuring that both wires receive an equal twisting force from the wings 6 and II, which does not permit one of the wires to remain straight while the other of the wires could thereby be twisted therearound for providing an undesirable and weak connecting of the wires. Handle 43 can be rotated as many times as it is desired to entwine the wires A and B.

Either thin, medium or thick wires, as well as smooth or unsmooth wires, such as for example barbed wire, can be readily accommodated by the present wire twister without the necessity of any adjustment thereof or of starting the Wires upon their entwinement before the present device can be used therewith to complete the entwinement.

A modified form of the present invention is disclosed in Figs. '7 to 9 inclusive, wherein is shown a shaft 2!, which shaft may have an end similar to the end 2 of the aforementioned shaft or may be part of a brace, not shown. The end of shaft 2!, as shown, is tapered by a pair of diametrically opposed faces 24 and 33 which slant inwardly towards one another, meeting in a common edge 23, which edge 23 is in line with and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of shaft 2!. Formed with shaft 2| and extending from faces 24 and 33 thereof respectively, are a pair of arcuate arms 26 and 3!. Said arms 26 and 3!, while extending laterally from shaft 2!, further extend obliquely in a forward longitudinal direction, as best shown in Fig. 8 of the drawing, relative to shaft 2 Said arms 26 and 3! are bent in the form of an arc and positioned in such a manner that the tips 25 and 30 respectively, thereof extend in opposed directions. The arcs of arms 25 and 3! are substantially equal in order that all portions thereof will be at equal distances from the longitudinal axis of shaft I.

Said arms 26 and 3! further have lateral slots 2! and 32 formed therein, which slots extend laterally thereof parallel to and continuate with sides 24 and 33 respectively. Said slots 2'! and 32 are upon inner sides of arms 26-and 3!, that is, upon the sides of arms 26 and 3! facing the direction in which tip portions 25 and 3!! respectively are pointed. At the same time, slots 2! and 32 are formed upon planes having a common axis but which extend at an angle to one another.

This modified form of the present invention operates in a manner similar to the preferred form in that it is detachably or firmly connected to a brace and thereby can be given a righthand rotation after edge 23 has been positioned between a pair of wires, whereupon tips 25 and 30 will contact said wires, causing them to slip along forward faces 28 and 29 over arms 26 and 3! respectively, until they are positioned within slots 2! and 32. The point at which the wires cross will be determined by edge 23 and faces 24 and 33. Likewise, slots 2'! and 32 will keep the extended portions of the wires an equal distance apart but in opposed slanting directions. Slots 2'! and 32 will thereby assure that the wires receive equal twisting forces and will further slant the wires relative to one another in such a manner as to assist with the further entwinement thereof.

It is obvious that both modifications of the wire twister described herein are capable of considerable further modification such as other means than a brace may be used for causing the rotation thereof and shaft can be readily shaped for use with such other means. Further, more than two Wings 6 and I! or arms 26 and 3! can be mounted upon a single shaft in order to accommodate more than two wires for entwinement. However, any such changes to the present device as come within the scope of the appended claims, I deem to be a part of my invention.

I claim:

1. An improvement in wire twisters comprising a shaft, an end of said shaft formed having a wedge configuration, a series of wings each mounted an equal distance from the others upon said shaft, and each of said wings having a slot formed adjacent said shaft in an edge thereof.

2. An improvement in wire twisters comprising a shaft, an end of said shaft formed having a wedge configuration, a pair of arcuate arms each mounted diametrically opposite the other upon said shaft and extending obliquely therefrom longitudinally thereof, said arms extending in opposite directions to one another, each of said arms formed having a lateral slot adjacent said shaft and each of said slots being formed slanting and facing in opposite directions to one another.

3. An improvement in wire twisters comprising a shaft, an end of said shaft having a wedge configuration, said shaft formed having the edge of said wedge configuration in line with and perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, a pair of wings each mounted diametrically opposite the other upon said shaft and each of said wings having slots formed laterally thereof.

4. An improvement in wire twisters comprising a, shaft, an end of said shaft having a wedge configuration, said shaft formed having the edge of said wedge configuration in linewith and perpendicular to the axis of the shaft, a pair of arcuate arms each mounted diametrically opposite the other upon said shaft, the tip of said arms extending in directions opposite to oneanother, each of said arms having a lateral slot formed therewith adjacent said shaft and extending con tinuate with a side of said wedge-shaped endof said shaft, and said slots being formed slanting and facing in directions opposite to one another.

WILLARD Ross. 

